THE MARKETING GURU

MARISSA ROSSNAGLE, 29

Director of Marketing, Center for Sight

YOUR NICKNAME Co-workers used to jokingly call me Mrs. BOSS-nagle. I guess the nickname speaks for itself! YOUR BRAND TAGLINE: You become what you believe.  WOULD YOU RATHER BE AN INVENTOR OR LEADER? Leader.  BIGGEST A-HA MOMENT?  Realizing that it’s OK to say “no” and that I shouldn’t feel guilty for doing so. For a long time, I accepted every opportunity that came my way. Only last year did I begin declining volunteer requests, events and more. It has been a liberating exercise and has allowed me to focus on what truly matters to me and how I want to spend my limited free time. Time is our most valuable resource and I learned to allocate it wisely. WHEN DID YOU FEEL HELPLESS?  My daughter was born with a congenital heart defect. With my Type-A personality, it was difficult for me to come to terms with her diagnosis, as it was completely unpreventable and out of my control. Then, I had the sudden realization: There is no one more fitting on this planet to handle this challenge than me! I pored over medical journals, studies and articles, learning as much as I could. My daughter is now an energetic, happy, soon-to-be toddler, and I am an educated, confident and passionate parent. This situation caused me to appreciate my strengths, my ambition and my “can-do” attitude. By refocusing my energy, I changed my entire outlook. I am not intimidated by her condition. I feel equipped with the brains, heart and soul to navigate the road ahead. While at first I may have felt helpless, I now feel empowered. your heart goes out to children’s charities. I don’t have just one favorite; I support a few on a local and national level. HAS SARASOTA FAILED MILLENNIALS? Sarasota has absolutely not failed us. I love living and working here. I believe you get what you give – if you put forth the effort to become involved, learn and positively impact our community, you will find Sarasota to be an ideal place for Millennials to thrive. It’s small enough for one person to make a difference, but large enough to continually be evolving. The key to connecting with this community is participation, no matter your age.  MOST RECENT SOCIAL MEDIA POST?  have a “disclaimer” on my Instagram account that it has now been taken over by a little baby named Harper, since 90% of my posts involve my daughter. My recent post was a selfie with her, of course! WHAT’S NEXT?As marketing director at Center For Sight, I feel very fortunate to be part of an organization that changes people’s lives. It’s an inspiring environment and I’m given endless opportunities to bring attention to the great work we do. Each day, I feel grateful for the life I lead; I’m energized by my day job, and I love my other full-time job, as “Mom.” Both allow me the opportunity to do meaningful things, albeit in vastly different settings. My plan is to continue juggling the demands of my professional and personal life, while throwing a little fun in there! Eventually I hope to get back into running marathons, but until then, I’ll enjoy shorter, and slower, walks in the park with my family.

THE CONSTANT COLLEAGUE

J. BARTON LOWTHER, 29
MARIASH LOWTHER WEALTH MANAGEMENT

YOUR NICKNAME “B” YOUR BRAND Educate, Connect, Contribute. WOULD YOU RATHER BE AN INVENTOR OR LEADER? Leader.  BIGGEST A-HA MOMENT? When I realized that I could be successful while combining my career, charitable nature and love of playing music it really changed the way I perceived things. HAS SARASOTA FAILED MILLENNIALS?  “Fail” is a strong word. I love it here, and so do most of my friends. We live in a city that is dominated by wiser generations; if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em—I play pickleball every week. YOUR HEART GOES OUT TO  Okay, here goes—sorry if I left anyone out: CHP, CAC, CPC, AFFB, JFCS, JFED, SPARCC, Selah, JAJF, MaW, Easter Seals, EOD, 40 Carrots, Selby. IN SARASOTA, WE DO TOO MUCH taking things for granted AND TOO LITTLE living in the moment. That’s probably just me projecting . . . maybe I shouldn’t take things for granted and start living in the moment! What’s Next? It has already been almost eight years at Merrill Lynch, and I look forward to many more working closely with my business partner, Brian Mariash.